Chapter XXVI: The Forests of Hampshire

THE NEW FOREST

SO much that is good of its kind has been printed concerning the beautiful district of the New Forest, that only two or three pages are allotted to it in this work. Mr. Wise’s admirable _The New Forest, its History and Scenery_ (1863) long remained the standard book on the subject; but two more recent works have corrected some errors and given much fresh information. One of these is the joint article of over sixty large pages, by the Hon. G. W. Lascelles and Mr. Nisbet, on _Forestry and the New Forest_ in vol. ii. of the _Victoria History of Hampshire_ (1903); and the other is the wholly delightful and thorough book, rich in illustrations, by Mr. Horace G. Hutchinson, which was published in 1904. To this may be added the mention of a good article, with plans, descriptive of the changing area of the forest, with its laws and customs, by the late Mr. Moens, which appeared in the _Archæological Journal_ for March, 1903.

The New Forest may be described, in broad terms, as the south-western corner of Hants, bounded by the Southampton water and the Solent on the east and south, and by the Dorset and Wilts borders on the west and north. Its extreme length is twenty-one miles, and its greatest width twelve miles; it covers 92,365 acres, which include 27,620 acres of private property. Put in other words, this means that the Crown or public lands of the New Forest consist of about 100 square miles, whilst the private lands occupy about forty square miles. Within this, notwithstanding the considerable extent of the woods, are several great stretching heaths and many an untimbered glade.

LADIES RABBITING (FIFTEENTH CENTURY)]

In Hampshire, as elsewhere, the Saxon kings reserved large tracts of country, well supplied as a rule with woods and thickets, for the purpose of sport and hunting, whilst at the same time they realised the importance of preserving the woodlands for the pannage of the swine. Under the Conqueror, the New Forest increased in area, and had its special bounds assigned; but stories set on foot by early chroniclers as to William’s reckless cruelty in destroying scores of churches and burning out villages for the sake of hunting, can readily be shown to be gross and absurd exaggerations. The later story of this forest, as set forth by Messrs. Wise, Lascelles, and Hutchinson, is a tale of continued aggression by private owners and by squatters, of grievous jobbery by forest officials, of Crown mortgages, of much destruction of timber and deer, and finally of various parliamentary inquiries in 1831, 1850, 1875, and at yet more recent dates. The forest is at present governed by the Act of 1877. Scotch firs and pines that now abound were first planted here in 1776.

The red deer, the fallow deer, and the roe deer are all still present in the New Forest, but in very much reduced numbers; the last-named are strays that first found their way here from Milton, Dorset, in 1870. In the days when Gilpin wrote his delightful volumes on _Forest Scenery_ (1790) there was a semi-wild breed of bristly pigs in parts of the forest, which were supposed to be hybrid descendants of the wild boar (Plate VII.).

Although there has been so much good writing on the history of the New Forest, there are sources of further interesting and original history at the Public Record Office which no one has hitherto tapped. Space can be found for only a few instances of such information.

The accounts of John Randolf, keeper of the forest, for 1306, show that there was much of pasturage in various parts of the forest, irrespective of general rights of agistment. There was, for instance, considerable sale of corn and hay from the manor of Lyndhurst in the centre of the forest; eight oxen of that manor were sold for 56_s._ Iron used in repair of the farm carts of the manor cost 2_s._ 10_d._, two iron plough-shoes (for tipping the wooden shares) cost 8_d._, and the shoeing of two cart-horses 18_d._ The full accounts for this year are beautifully written and in most excellent condition; no antiquary would grudge the wage of the keeper’s clerk, which is entered as one mark, “according to ancient custom.” The keeper himself received a salary of £10. The forest tithe, payable to the church of Salisbury, was £4 3_s._ The most interesting entry of that year is the sum of £8 15_s._ 8_d._, which was expended in repairing the court house, or manor house of Lyndhurst, against the coming of the king—_ut patet per particul’_—but unfortunately the particulars are lacking. The manor house of Ringwood was at the same time put in order to be ready for the royal advent; among the items is the entry of a supply of plaster of Paris.

Forest pleas for the New Forest were held at Southampton on Monday next after the Translation of St. Thomas the Martyr, 1330, before John Mantravers. On the first day of the session, which extended over twenty-one days, no fewer than ninety-seven essoins or excuses for non-attendance were put in for the substantial reason of death. In each of these cases appearance had to be made by some relative or other qualified person who testified to the death. The first five names stand thus:—

“Essoines de Morte
Petrus de la Hoese—per Petrum de la Hoese militem.
Walterus Waleys—per Willielmum Loocras.
Nicholas de Ivele—per Rogerum de Ivele, Forester de Wolmer.
Walterus atte Broke—per Nicholam atte Broke.
Walterus Stretchhose—per Ricardum Stretchhose.”

The venison pleas of the New Forest were presented by Sir William de Beauchamp, keeper of the forest, for the term of six years, in conjunction with Andrew de Camerton, his lieutenant, and John de Romsey, John de Brymore, Richard atte Hanger, and John Niernuyt, verderers. The venison presentations were concerned with the death of 22 does, 10 bucks, 3 hinds, 2 harts, and 6 fawns, in addition to several cases in which the numbers of the head of game taken off were unknown. The fines imposed for these venison trespasses by the justices varied from 12_d._ to 20_s._ The number of such cases is by no means excessive, considering that the oldest offence went back to 1284. It must also be remembered that there must have been numerous cases struck out, because the delinquent or delinquents were dead. One of the more exceptional and interesting cases is that of two poachers who, in July, 1325, hunted in the New Forest with nine greyhounds and a mastiff, killing two does and a fawn; they loaded them on a white mare, when they were attached by the foresters and committed, together with the mare, which was of the value of 5_s._, to the custody of Simon de Wynton, the sheriff of the county. When the eyre was held Simon was called upon not only to account for his prisoners, but for the 5_s._, the value of the mare. But Sheriff Simon was dead, and Sir Richard de Wynton, who held his lands, had to put in an appearance and hand over the value of the white mare to the justices.

The list of presentments of vert trespassers is a very long one, covering both sides of four membranes. It opens with two cases, in one of which three beeches, worth 3_s._, had been felled, and in the other two oaks, worth 2_s._; in each instance, the offender had to pay 12_d._ fine, the value having previously been paid at the local woodmote court. The usual value put on oaks, roers, and beeches was 1_s._ each. Occasionally the oaks must have been of considerable size; in one case an oak was valued at 2_s._, and in another at 3_s._ 4_d._ A cartload of green wood of white thorn was valued at 6_d._

The following is a copy of a warrant for timber from Beaulieu, addressed by Henry VII. to the Earl of Arundel, the keeper of the New Forest:—

“By the king

“We wil and charge you that unto our trusty and right
welbeloved Cousin the erl of Ormond or unto the bringer
herof in his name ye deliver or doo to be delivered twelf
Okes convenable for tymbre to be taken within our Baiffship
of Bewley in oure Forest called the New Forest or in such
places within the same Forest as oure said Cousin shall thinke
moost metely and convenient for him, and these oure lettres
shalbe yor Warrant. Geven undre oure signet at oure Citie of
Winchestere the xix dey of October the second yere of oure
Reign.

“To oʳ Right trusty and right welbeloved Cousin Therl of
Arundell warden of our Newe Forest in our Countie of Suth’ton
and to his Lieutenant and keepers there.”

Among the presentments at an eyre _temp._ Henry VII. are the following:—

“The bayly of goddyshell shewyth that John Colend the bayly of
Godshyll Kellyd a bukke in Somer in the viijᵗʰ yere of Kyng
Henry the vijᵗʰ and a doo the same somer wyth a Arrowe and
caryed awaye the Flesshe wythowte lycens of ony keper. Item
the same John Colend kylled a hert in the sayd baylywekke with
an Arrowe in the yere aforesayd and caryed away the flesshe
withowte lycens of ony keper.

“In the viijᵗʰ yere of yᵉ regne of Kyng Henry the vijᵗʰ yᵉ
xijᵗʰ day of Junii Rychard Carter yoman of Bewly come into the
Este bayly and there he toke a rede dere and caryed it away.

“Inᵈ that Sʳ Wylliam Holmes, prest of Sarum, come into the
bayly at Fytcham the Monday next aftyr holy Rode day the viijᵗʰ
yere of Kyng Henry the vijᵗʰ and there wyth hys greyhundys
kellyd a Sowre wythowte leve of ony keper.

“Also Rychard Kymbrege of Mychwood kylled ij hyndes calves wyth
hys howndys wyth owte leve of ony keper in the vijᵗʰ yere of
Kyng henry.

“Inᵈ that Sr Edward Wellyby, prest, came into the bayly
at Fyrtham the Satyrday next after Saynt Bartylmewes day
the viijᵗʰ yere of Kyng Henry the vijᵗʰ and there wyth hys
grehowyds kylled iij bukkys, a preket and a doo wyth owte ony
lycens or autoryte of ony keper.

“Presentyd by a offycer that one Robart Dyer otherwise called
Robart Foster the xvᵗʰ day of October the viijᵗʰ yere of Kyng
Henry the vijᵗʰ come into the Newe Forest that is to say to
Fette Thurnes within the bayly of Battramsley and there fellyd
and caryed away the nowmbyr of xij lode of grene thurnes. The
said prisoner appered and deposed the contrary ... and put in
plege for his fyne.”

The last of these extracts refers to a hard case when Charles I. was attempting to revive forest law.

In November, 1639, Henry Earl of Holland, chief justice in eyre, reduced on petition the fine of £30 for a venison offence in the New Forest in the case of one Harmon Rogers to £5, and ordered his release from prison on giving sureties to be of good behaviour towards the forest. The petition set forth that Harmon was

“a miserable poore man in lamentable distresse, hath a poore
wife and vij small children, had great losse by fire, one of
his children is a creeple, hath a blind man to his father
that wholly lyeth upon him, hath been twice imprisoned for
this one fault, and in his present durance is ready to starve
for want of food and so are his children at home, at this
present 30 _li_ in debt, and hath no meanes in the world to
releive himself his blind father wife and vij childrene but
his painfull labour and never did or will, as God shall help
him, commit any fault or offense against his Majesties game but
onely one.”

ALICE HOLT AND WOOLMER

In addition to the New Forest, Hampshire had two other large forest areas—Alice Holt and Woolmer, and the forest of Bere.

Alice Holt, a comparatively modern and unfortunate corruption of Axisholt, and Woolmer, though apparently always separated by a small strip of non-forest land, were practically one, and formed a considerable stretch of country, chiefly woodland, on the borders of Surrey and Sussex. They were almost invariably under the same general control, though having their separate minor forest ministers. Thus, in 1217, Axisholt and Wulvemar formed one bailiwick in the charge of Robert de Venoit, and again, in the beginning of Edward I.’s reign, both Alice Holt and Woolmer forests were under the same keeper, Adam Gurdon. They seem to have been well stocked with both red and fallow deer, and also heavily timbered. Adam Gurdon, in 1273, had to deliver two bucks at Windsor Castle, as the king’s children were staying there. In 1276 and 1277 the same keeper was instructed to give facilities to a royal huntsman who was sent down with his dogs to take harts for the king’s household in the forests of Alice Holt and Woolmer; and in the following year he had to dispatch thirty oaks fit for timber towards the rebuilding of Winchester Castle.

The sixth report of the woods and forests commission, issued in 1790, devotes eighty-eight folio pages to these two Hampshire forests. The commissioners cite the perambulation of this joint forest made in 1300 as reduced from the wider limits of earlier reigns. A perambulation of 11 Charles I. gives practically the same bounds. The whole area within the forest is returned as 15,493 acres, but of that quantity 6,799 acres were in private hands. Reference is made to a justice seat held 11 Charles I., and to swainmote courts in the reigns of James I. and Charles I. The administration and customs of the forest corresponded with the general use. Since the year 1777 the timber had been very largely used for the navy; it was taken by road, about ten miles, to Godalming, where the river Wey was navigable, and thence to the dockyards on the Thames. The lieutenant of the forest (Lord Stawell) considered the deer his own. There were then about 800 fallow deer in Alice Holt; the red deer used to be found in Woolmer Forest, but the latter were removed to Windsor about 1760. In the appendix there is a list of the lieutenants or keepers of the forest from 45 Elizabeth, and very full particulars as to the sale, extent, and value of the timber. All kinds of cattle were admitted to pasture save sheep.

BERE FOREST

The forest of Bere extended northwards from the Portsdown Hills. According to a perambulation made in 1688, it included about 16,000 acres. The southern ward, in early days, often went by the name of Porchester forest.

When pleas of this forest were held in September, 1490, at Winchester, it was returned that Sir George Nevill was keeper; Sir James Awdley, lieutenant; Ralph Shorter, forester, and John Wilton, his deputy; William Knight, ranger; and William Froste and John Hamond, verderers. William Mody and his fellows were present as regarders, and there were two juries sworn of the men of the hundreds of Somborne and Buddlesgate.

For fee timber Richard Curson, as deputy of the justices, received six beeches; the keeper, two roers, and his deputy, a beech; the lieutenant, a roer; the ranger, a beech; each verderer, an oak and a beech; the regarders, two beeches and and a roer; the two sessional clerks, four beeches; and the under-sheriff, a roer. Richard Curson also received a buck.

At a swainmote of West Bere, held on 5th June, 1475, before John Whitehede and John Hamond, the verderers, Robert Bailly, forester, presented that John Ewerby, lord of Farley, claimed to have the right to deer that escaped into his lordship, and that he had killed several head at Hambledon and Queentree.

At another swainmote, held on 1st June, 1488, before William Frost and John Hamond, verderers, Robert Bailly, the forester, again presented the lord of Farley for having killed several does and fawns in the previous August in the woods of West Bere. He also presented Richard Mathew, lately parish chaplain of Sparsholt, and then living at Crawley, for having killed a doe with bow and arrows. A more serious charge was preferred against a yeoman and a miller of Winchester, who with a large number of disorderly persons hunted the forest with greyhounds and two other kinds of dogs, namely “rachys et kenettes,” to the grave destruction of the deer.

The woods and forests commissioners’ thirteenth report, issued in 1792, is devoted to this forest. It is described as in the south-east part of the county and within eight miles of Portsmouth. The perambulation of 1300 is printed in the appendix. The forest was then divided into two walks, the East and the West. Following the boundaries laid down in 1688, the commissioners estimated the area as at least twenty-five square miles, about a third of which was enclosed, and the rest open forest land. The parishes within the forest and certain neighbouring ones turned out horses, horned cattle, and ringed swine at all times of the year, but no sheep. The officers were a warden-in-fee by Crown grant; four verderers, chosen by the county freeholders; a ranger, a steward of the swainmote court, and two keepers for each walk, all appointed by the warden during pleasure; twelve regarders chosen, if required by the county freeholders; and two agisters appointed annually, at the swainmote court. There were about 200 fallow deer in the East Walk, and about fifty in the West Walk. A court book was extant from the year 1685, but no court had been held since 1769, when it could not be opened as no verderers attended. Extensive encroachments were being made, and the timber and underwood of the Crown lands comparatively unguarded. The commissioners strongly urged that the district should be disafforested. The underkeeper of the West Walk testified that until recently the deer were regularly browsed with “holly, ivy, and the tops of thorn bushes, when the season required it.”

Reference is made in the general section on later forest history to the great chase or park that pertained to the Bishops of Winchester at Waltham.